Reference: Freedom
Easton
The law of Moses pointed out the cases in which the servants of the Hebrews were to receive their freedom (Ex 21:2-4,7-8; Le 25:39-42,47-55; De 15:12-18). Under the Roman law the "freeman" (ingenuus) was one born free; the "freedman" (libertinus) was a manumitted slave, and had not equal rights with the freeman (Ac 22:28; comp. Ac 16:37-39; 21:39; 22:25; 25:11-12).
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If thou shalt buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall depart free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall depart by himself: if he was married, then his wife shall depart with him. read more. If his master hath given him a wife, and she hath borne him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall depart by himself.
And if a man shall sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not depart as the men-servants do. If she shall not please her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee shall have become poor, and be sold to thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bond servant: But as a hired servant, and as a sojourner he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee to the year of jubilee. read more. And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return to his own family, and to the possession of his fathers shall he return. For they are my servants, which I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as bond-men.
And if a sojourner or a stranger shall become rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him shall become poor, and sell himself to the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family: After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: read more. Either his uncle, or his uncle's son may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin to him of his family, may redeem him; or if he is able, he may redeem himself. And he shall reckon with him that bought him, from the year that he was sold to him, to the year of jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according to the number of years, according to the time of a hired servant shall it be with him. If there shall be yet many years behind, according to them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. And if there shall remain but few years to the year of jubilee, then he shall count with him, and according to his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption. And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigor over him in thy sight. And if he shall not be redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, both he, and his children with him. For to me the children of Israel are servants, they are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
And if thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, shall be sold to thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him depart empty: read more. Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy wine-press: of that with which the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give to him. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bond-man in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing this day. And it shall be, if he shall say to thee, I will not leave thee; because he loveth thee and thy house, because he is well with thee; Then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear into the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also to thy maid-servant thou shalt do likewise. It shall not seem hard to thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been of double the worth of a hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.
But Paul said to them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privately? no verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out. And the sergeants told these words to the magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romans. read more. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
But Paul said, I am a man who am a Jew of Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and I beseech thee suffer me to speak to the people.
And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
And the chief captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
For if I am an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there is none of these things of which these accuse me, no man may deliver me to them. I appeal to Cesar. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed to Cesar? to Cesar thou shalt go.